KUWAIT: The International Federation for Asian and African Trade Unions (IFAATU) condemned the 'double-measured policies' it accused some private companies were following in dealing with the negative economic impacts of COVID-19 at the expense of employees. The federation argued in a statement that laying off employees or cutting their salaries "has the worst consequences on the future, safety and stability of their families." IFAATU made that statement during a meeting held recently via Zoom, with attendance of the union's executive council members in both continents to discuss the impact of COVID-19 on workforces.

IFAATU also condemned the repressive measures committed by the Zionist occupation authorities against the chairman of the Palestinian Unions Coalition (PUC) when they barged into his house, damaged its contents and arrested his son for taking part in a meeting merely because PUC rejects the policy of normalization with the Zionist entity. Stressing that Jerusalem is an Arab city, IFAATU hailed the attitude of Kuwait's Amir, government and people on rejecting all forms of normalization with the Zionist enemy.

Speaking on the meeting, chairman of IFAATU's executive board Soud Al-Hujailan condemned the policies followed by some governments in dealing with the negative impacts of COVID-19, accusing them of taking sides with employers at the expense of employees who got laid off or had their salaries cut down without securing the future of their families and leaving them to unknown fates without any form of accountability for the employers.

Meanwhile, IFAATU executive board member Khaled Al-Tahous said that the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed two extremely dangerous phenomena; the corruption of some employers towards the rights of helpless laborers, and the 'hibernation' of some trade unions whose members only care for personal interests, totally disregarding the trust of employees and laborers who had elected them as representatives to voice out and solve their problems.